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CVE-2026-98547

Linux: af_packet: fix integer overflow in prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo()

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.21%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 10% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in02afd75649a4e001031ed82153a5c39312ec0737Also 297acc571d5813db76b147c745b91031d5f9c960, 6279211e7d2456ecd195d236c9ee5e5c6fa5a17a and 2 moreCVE List
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 02afd75649a4e001031ed82153a5c39312ec0737LinuxCVE List
  • 297acc571d5813db76b147c745b91031d5f9c960LinuxCVE List
  • 6279211e7d2456ecd195d236c9ee5e5c6fa5a17aLinuxCVE List
  • 218a944b9e035d4b47d59c69af6ca13319da15fbLinuxCVE List
  • 56d82862a0a243ac14ba11b6d7b57ddc2d064b95LinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

af_packet: fix integer overflow in prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo()

prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo() computes in 32-bit int arithmetic:

mbits = (blk_size_in_bytes * 8) / (1024 * 1024);

If I'm reading the validation right, tp_block_size is user controlled and packet_set_ring() only rejects values that are <= 0 as int or not page aligned, so a 256MiB block goes right through (and alloc_one_pg_vec_page() even has a vzalloc fallback for it). 0x10000000 * 8 wraps to INT_MIN, and on a NIC reporting 1 Gbps (div == 1) the function ends up returning -2047.

The condition is actually (8 * size) mod 2^32 >= 2^31 && div == 1, so the trigger set is [256,512), [768,1024), [1280,1536) and [1792,2048) MiB. Other sizes wrap to non-negative values and faster links divide the unsigned value back below 2^31, which is why this doesn't blow up for everyone.

What makes it fatal is what happens next in init_prb_bdqc():

p1->interval_ktime = ms_to_ktime(prb_calc_retire_blk_tmo(...)); hrtimer_start(&p1->retire_blk_timer, p1->interval_ktime, HRTIMER_MODE_REL_SOFT);

A negative relative timeout expires immediately. The callback unconditionally returns HRTIMER_RESTART, and hrtimer_forward() turns the negative interval into hrtimer_resolution:

if (interval < hrtimer_resolution) interval = hrtimer_resolution;

So the SOFT timer re-fires at the maximum rate forever, holding sk_receive_queue.lock each pass. One CPU spins in softirq until the socket is closed. Repeat with more rings and the machine is gone.

The overflow itself is ancient - it was introduced together with TPACKET_V3 in f6fb8f100b80 ("af-packet: TPACKET_V3 flexible buffer implementation."). Its effect prior to f7460d2989fa ("net: af_packet: Use hrtimer to do the retire operation", v6.18) was not as clear-cut, though: the return value was stored into an unsigned short retire_blk_tov, so a negative result was truncated, and a 0-jiffy delay loop could be programmed as well. Neither is nearly as detrimental as the immediate maximum-rate spin the hrtimer conversion turned it into.

(Unrelated to CVE-2019-20812 - that one was the ethtool failure path returning 0, which now returns DEFAULT_PRB_RETIRE_TOV.)

Reproducer, needs CAP_NET_RAW (a --network host container has it by default) and a 1 Gbps NIC (QEMU e1000 works):

int fd = socket(AF_PACKET, SOCK_RAW, htons(ETH_P_ALL)); bind(fd, ...); int v = TPACKET_V3; setsockopt(fd, SOL_PACKET, PACKET_VERSION, &v, sizeof(v)); struct tpacket_req3 req = { .tp_block_size = 0x10000000, .tp_block_nr = 1, .tp_frame_size = 2048, .tp_frame_nr = 0x10000000 / 2048, .tp_retire_blk_tov = 0, }; setsockopt(fd, SOL_PACKET, PACKET_RX_RING, &req, sizeof(req));

Compute in 64 bits instead. The operands are already bounded by the existing validation, so nothing else changes. If you'd prefer a different fix, just say so and I'll respin.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 18

  • Linuxaffected: f6fb8f100b807378fda19e83e5ac6828b638603a before 02afd75649a4e001031ed82153a5c39312ec0737CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: f6fb8f100b807378fda19e83e5ac6828b638603a before eb5b3838b9200dac04bfe33483db0ee8287456fbCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: f6fb8f100b807378fda19e83e5ac6828b638603a before 297acc571d5813db76b147c745b91031d5f9c960CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: f6fb8f100b807378fda19e83e5ac6828b638603a before be1aacff399d519cc48d6b34354a54dd79041140CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: f6fb8f100b807378fda19e83e5ac6828b638603a before b2bcc6a254d6f27823a56787668ae4ee8cdb6e71CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: f6fb8f100b807378fda19e83e5ac6828b638603a before 6279211e7d2456ecd195d236c9ee5e5c6fa5a17aCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: f6fb8f100b807378fda19e83e5ac6828b638603a before 218a944b9e035d4b47d59c69af6ca13319da15fbCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: f6fb8f100b807378fda19e83e5ac6828b638603a before 56d82862a0a243ac14ba11b6d7b57ddc2d064b95CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 3.2CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 3.2CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 5.10.271 through 5.10.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 5.15.222 through 5.15.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.1.189 through 6.1.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.158 through 6.6.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.112 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.55 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.9 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 8